Transformational leadership, work -related cultural values, and job satisfactio

This study investigates from the leader's self-assessed perspective on how work related cultural values and level of job satisfaction affect his or her propensity towards transformational leadership behaviors. The research to date on individual cultural values is extended and applied to the leader's mindset towards engaging in transformational behaviors that result in positive organizational performance. Additionally, job satisfaction has been traditionally utilized as a surrogate for a desirable organizational outcome and in this study it used as a level indicator for the outcome of transformational leadership behaviors.;Drawing from Kouzes and Posner's leadership model of the five practices of exemplary leadership, Dorfman and Howell's adaptation of Hofstede's four national culture dimensions to the individual level, and Smith, Kendall, and Hulin's job satisfaction scales, a framework was developed, with cultural values and job satisfaction variables as independent and transformational leadership variables as dependent. Three hypotheses were proposed: (1) significant correlation exists between work related cultural values of the individual and transformational leadership behaviors, (2) significant correlation exists between job satisfaction of the individual and transformational leadership behaviors, and (3) work related cultural values and job satisfaction are related to transformational leadership behaviors.;The analyses revealed support for the first hypothesis in that all cultural values correlated with the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) scales for transformational leadership behaviors. Uncertainty avoidance and collectivism showed a significant positive relation: whereas, power distance and masculinity were negatively related. The second hypotheses was only partially supported via significant negative correlations for two of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) measures for job satisfaction, namely satisfaction with work and satisfaction with job overall. The third hypotheses was partially supported with some of the variables and the regression equation yielded forty-two percent of the transformational leadership score attributable to the work related cultural values and job satisfaction variables.;The results suggest self-assessments high on uncertainty avoidance, high on collectivism, low on power distance and low satisfaction with the work and job overall, to be high on transformational leadership behaviors. The outcomes are contrary to expectations and call for further research.